Hydraulic clutch



Jan. 5, 1937. J. A. BASCLE El A-L 2,066,450

Filed Jan. 21, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J ISnnentors q a. 8g WzZZaam gar y Milk, 1-

Cttorueg6.

Jan. 5, 1937. J. A. BASCLE ET AL 2,066,450

HYDRAULI C CLUTCH Filed Jan. 21, 1936 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Juventors Gt omegS.

.1. A. BASCLE El AL 2,066,450

HYDRAULIC CLUTCH Jan. 5, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 21, 1936 Patented Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH Joseph Albon Bascle and William Harold Berry,

New Orleans, La. 1

Application January 21, 1936, Serial No. 60,109

5Clalms.

This invention relates; to transmissions and clutches and more particularly to a combined transmission and clutch of the constantly meshed gear type.

An object of this invention is to provide a combined clutch and transmission for use with a power means, such as an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, or for use wherever a transfer of power is desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined clutch and transmission which is so constructed as to eliminate the necessity of changing gears, the speed ratio of the driven element with respect to the driving element being effected in a smooth manner through the use of a changeable clutching device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combined clutch and transmission which may be incorporated in a flywheel, and wherein the flywheel constitutes an important element in the effectiveness of the device.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a hydraulic means for effecting a change in the speed ratio between the driven and the driving elements.

Still another object of this invention is in the provision of a means in combination with the flywheel of the engine or motor whereby the hy draulic system is maintained in a filled condition at all times.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding pans throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, partly in detail and partly broken away and in section, of a combined clutch and transmission constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the device removed from the housing and with the removable end plate taken off to show the arrangement of the gears within the flywheel.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the flywheel broken away and in section and with the gears in section.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the main or driving gear.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the controlling valve for regulating the clutching or declutching of the gears.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 0-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Iii designates a driving shaft and the numeral H a driven shaft, the driving shaft l0 being connected to a suitable source of power supply, and the. driven shaft being connected to a means to be operated at varying speeds from the driving shaft I 0. A flywheel I 2 is interposed between the driving shaft l0 and the driven shaft H, and is fixed to the driving shaft ill by means of bolts l3 extending through a flange I4 also fixed to the driving shaft Hi. It will be understood :that any suitable form of attaching means other than that here disclosed may be used for securing the flywheel l2 to the driving shaft I.

A housing l5 constructed of sections [6 and I1 having abutting flanges l8 and i9 is disposed loosely about the flywheel, and the flanges I 8 and I9 form a means by which the housing sections l6 and I! may be secured together. The housing l5 has a drain plug adjacent the bottom thereof, and a filler cap 2| provided with a hinged closure 22 in the upper portion thereof. The

housing i5 is adapted to receive a suitable liquid 23 in the form of oil or the like.

The shaft in extends through a wall of the housing section I 6, and if desired a gland or other sealing means may be used to prevent leakage of the oil through the bearing or opening 24 provided in the housing section IS. The shaft ll extends through a plate or cover 25 fixed to the housing section II, and in this instance a sealing'member 26 is carried by the central portion of the plate 25, although if desired any other suitable form of gland or sealing means may be provided to prevent leakage of the oil about the shaft ll. The-sealing member 26 in this instance is embedded in the plate 25 and may be constructed of any suitable material used for this purpose. The housing I5 is of course fixed against rotation in any suitable manner, and for this purpose may be provided with arms or lugs (not shown) which may be attached to a suitable support.

The flywheel I2 is provided with an axial bore 21 which extends inwardly from the driven the oil or other liquid cannot move past the teeth thereof. The flywheel I2 is also provided with bores 29 and 30 in which gears 3| and 32, respectively, are disposed, these latter gears also being snugly fitted into their respective bores.

A hearing seat 33 is provided inthe flywheel I ments are carried by a stub 85 at the inner end of the gear 28. The gear 8| at its inner end is provided with a stub 88 carrying roller or other anti-friction elements engaging a seat 81, and the gear 82 also has a similar stub 88 provided with roller or other anti-friction elements engaging-a seat 38 provided in the flywheel i2. The driven side of the flywheel I2 is provided with a bore covering plate 48 provided with bearing seats 4|, 42, and 48, for the anti-friction elements carried by the outer stub ends of the gears 28, 8| and 82,respectively. The plate 48 is fastened to the rear side of the flywheel |2 by means of bolts 44 or the like.

The central or driving gear 28 has a bore 45 terminating short of the inner end of the gear, and the end of the driven shaft II is splined into this bore 45. Thedrivlng gear 28 also has a bore 48 axially of the bore 45 and relatively larger in diameter than the bore 45, and this bore 45 has opposed longitudinal grooves or keyways 41.

A speed controlling sleeve 48 provided with a grooved collar 48 is slidable on the driven shaft II and slidabiy engages in the bore 48. The sleeve 48 has opposed longitudinal ribs 58 which engage in thegrooves 41. of the gear 28. The bore 48 is relatively shorter 'in length than the bore 45, and opens through the rear end of the flywheel i2, whereas the bore 45 due to its smaller diameter opens at its rear end into the bore 48.

In order to provide a'means whereby the liquid 28 may be used to control the speed of the driven shaft H with respect to the driving shaft I8, I have provided a pair of liquid conveying means of a spring 54. The valve 58 is thus an inwardly opening valve,'but is moved off of the seat 52 by means of the liquid 28 engaging in a V-shaped scoop 55 so that at every rotation of the flywheel I! there will be two impulses, one for each valve 58 acting to maintain the channels 5| fllled withoil. v. v

The driving gear 28 is provided between each pair of teeth with 'oil outlet channels or openings 58 which are relatively long, and the control valve 48 is also provided with outlet openings 51 adapted upon movement of the valve 48 to register with the openings 58. These openings 58-51 are substantially equal in number to the number of longitudinal grooves 58 forming the splines on the driven shaft [I so that the grooves 58 will provide outlet channels by means of which the oil may pass out of the flywheel l2 and into the housing l5.

In the use and operation of this combined clutch and change-speed mechanism, assuming that the driven shaft II is at a standstill and the driving shaft I8 is rotating. The flywheel i2 will, of course, rotate with the driving shaft I8, and to maintain the driven shaft stationary the controlling valve 48 is held in a position with the openings 51 therein registering with the openings 58 in the central gear 28. The valve 48 is moved longitudinally of the driven shaft II and the gear 28 by means of a forked operating lever 58 mounted on a pivot 88 carried by the housing 58 when the valve 48 is in an open position.

aoeasso l5. on is pumped into the oil channels II at each revolution of the flywheel l2, and preferably the pumping action is equal to the flow of the oil through the outlet channels 58, 51, and

Rotation of the shaft is eflected by movement of thevalve 48 under the rocking of the operating lever 58. Gradual speeding up of the driven shaft H is eifected by gradual movement of the valve 48 which will gradually restrict the flow of oil through the openings 58 and 51, the openings 51 being gradually moved out of register. with the openings 58.' In view of the fact that the oil cannot flowpast the teeth of the gears 28, 8| and 82, the restriction of the outlet openings 58-51 will act to retard the rotation of the central or driving gear 28 and thus effect rotation of the driven shaft H which is splined in the bore 45 of the gear 28. When the valve 48 is moved to a completely closed position, which is the position,

shown in Fig. 1, no oil can fiow through the outlet openings 51 or the outlet channels 58, and as the fluid channels 5| are maintained in a filled,

condition by the pumping action caused by rotation of the flywheel l2 and the inwardly opening valves 58, the gear 28 will be locked against rotation relative to the flywheel l2 and thus eflect a direct drive between the driving shaft l8 and the driven shaft ll.

Any desired intermediate speed may be obtained, depending only u on the length ofthe outlet openings 55-51 and the position of the valve 48. It will be apparent that the driven shaft ll will be rotated under the action of constantly meshing gears, with the gears acting not as a change-speed means but as a diflerential clutching means and liquid locking means. A suitable reversing mechanism for the driven shaft may i be associated with this combined clutch and transmission and when disposed at a point rearwardly of the housing l5 the same reverse speeds may be obtained as are obtained by the forward speeds.

A clutch-transmission of the type hereinbefore described may be constructed at a relatively low cost, and due to the immersion of the gears-in oil there will be relatively little wear thereon, and

the only part that must be given any care is the supply of oil in the reservoir or housing II.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts whichcould be used without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States is:

i. A combined-clutch and transmission for a driving shaft and a driven shaft, comprising a housing, a liquid in the housing, an annular mem-, ber in the housing, means for seem-ing the member to the driving shaft, said member having a plurality of bores-therein, intermeshing gears in said bores, valved means carried by the member for forcing the liquid toward said gears upon rota- .tion of the member, means for connecting the driven shaft to one of said gears, said one gear having a bore therein relatively largerthan the diameter of the driven shaft, and also having a radial outlet open between each pair of teeth, and

- a speed controlling valve slidable between said drivenshaft and said one gear and provided with 16 outlet openings adapted to register with the openings in said one gear.

2. A hydraulic clutch and transmission comprising a housing, a liquid in the housing, an annular driving member in the housing, means for securing the driving member to a driving shaft, communicating chambers in the member, means for pumping the liquid into said chambers on each revolution of the member, intermeshing gears in said chambers, one of said gears having a radially disposed outlet passage between each pair of teeth, said one gear having a relatively small splined bore to receive an end of a driven shaft and. also having a relatively large bore coaxial with said first bore, a' valve member slidable in said large bore and provided with outlet openings adapted to register with the outlet passages of said one gear, and operating means for said valve member.

3. A hydraulic clutch and transmission comprising a housing, a liquid in the housing, an annular driving member in the housing, means for securing the driving member to a driving shaft, communicating chambers in the member, intake passages opening into said chambers and opening through the periphery of said annular member, inwardly opening valves in said intake passages adjacent the periphery of said annular member, intermeshing gears in said chambers, one of said gears having radially disposed passages between the teeth thereof, said one gear having a relatively small splined bore to receive an end of a driving shaft and also having a relatively large bore coaxial with said first bore, a valve member slidable in said large bore and provided with outlet openings adapted to register with the radial passages of said one gear, and operating means for said valve member. i

4. A hydraulic clutch and transmission com prising a housing, a liquid in the housing, an annular driving member in the housing, means said chambers, one of said gears having radially disposed passages between the teeth thereof, said one gear having a relatively small splined bore to receive an end of a driving shaft and also having a relatively large bore coaxial with said first bore, a valve member slidable in said large bore and provided with outlet openings adapted to register with the radial passages of said one gear, and operating means for said valve member.

5. A hydraulic clutch and transmission comprising a housing, a liquid in the housing, an annular driving member in the housing, means for securing the driving member to a driving shaft, a centrally disposed chamber in said member, a pair of diametrically disposed chambers disposed in parallel relation to said central chamber and communicating therewith, a gear in each chamber, the gears in said pair of chambers intermeshing with the gear in the central chamber, liquid passages communicating at one end with said chambers and opening through the periphery of said annular member, means for forcing the liquid into said passages on each revolution of said annular member, means for connecting the central gear with a driving element, said central gear having discharge ports therein, and adjustable means rotatable with said central gear control ling the opening of said discharge ports.

JOSEPH ALBON BASCLE. WILLIAM HAROLD BERRY. 

